Intimate Seduction - Brenda Jackson [26]
“What a shame. I wish he was.”
Natalie chuckled, but her laughter was cut short when she saw the man in question approached by another man. “I don’t believe it,” she said in an annoyed voice.
Farrah, who had gone back to studying her menu, glanced up. “You don’t believe what?”
“Donovan Steele is here, and he’s talking to your guy—the one you wished was on the menu. Hopefully, he won’t look over this way and see me.”
As if those very words had damned her, Donovan glanced her way. His gaze settled on her face and held her eyes captive. She barely had time to draw in a ragged breath when she felt white-hot desire whisk through her veins and settle deep in her limbs. So deep she had to place her glass of water back down on the table.
“Natalie?”
She heard Farrah call her name but was too caught up in the intensity of Donovan’s gaze to break eye contact. She finally answered nonetheless. “Yes?”
“Are you sure you told me everything about your relationship with Donovan Steele?”
That question made Natalie meet Farrah’s curious expression. She swallowed deeply. “Yes.” When Farrah continued to look at her, she finally asked in a strained voice, “What do you think I didn’t tell you?”
“How much you want to jump his bones.”
Hearing Farrah speak aloud what she had refused to acknowledge in her thoughts caused a blush to color her cheeks. Did she really want to do that? Was that the reason why every morning since meeting him she’d waken with sensuous aches in her body and dreams too scandalous to mention to anyone?
“Natalie?”
She knew she had to say something or Farrah wouldn’t let up. “I plead the fifth.”
Farrah chuckled. “You can plead the fifth all you like, but it’s not going to help you since both men are headed this way.”
Natalie refused to turn her head to see if Farrah was teasing her. She knew she wasn’t. There was no way for her and Donovan Steele to be in the same place without him trying to use his power of persuasion on her. “Remember what I said. He doesn’t know what I actually do for a living and I want to keep it that way,” she whispered.
Farrah smiled. “I’ll keep your secret, but from the way he’s looking at you, I doubt what you do for a living is what’s on his mind right now.”
Natalie couldn’t resist temptation any longer, and she shifted her gaze to see the two men walking toward them. Farrah was right.
Xavier Kane glanced over at Donovan. “Hey, man, are you sure those ladies don’t mind being interrupted?”
Donovan smiled as they kept walking toward where Natalie and a friend were sitting. He liked Xavier. Known as X, he was a close friend and personal attorney to the man who’d married his cousin Vanessa last year, Cameron Cody, and was the godbrother to Donovan’s friend from college, Uriel Lassiter.
“We’ll find out soon enough, X. Doesn’t she look happy to see us coming?”
X chuckled. “Depends on which one you’re focused on.”
“I’ve got my eye on the one in blue. We have a little matter we need to resolve.”
X let out a sigh of relief. “That’s good because she’s the one shooting daggers at us. I’m glad I’m focused on the other one. She’s smiling. I can work with that smile. All I have to do is turn up the heat.”
As Donovan got closer to the table, he decided regardless of the cold look Natalie was sending his way, he intended to turn up the heat, as well.
Chapter 6
“How are you tonight, Natalie?”
She would be a lot better if he didn’t seem to be in such a good mood. He was smiling, and his white teeth against his creamy cocoa complexion made his smile even sexier. And then there was the sound of his voice—throaty, husky, just enough to feel like a caress across her heated skin. This man had the ability to stir every nerve-tingling sensation in her body and was doing so. Probably intentionally.
“I’m fine.” And then she asked, “What are you doing here?”
He chuckled. “I could ask you the same thing since this is my hangout. I’m here every Friday night unless I’m out of town. My best friend is one of the owners.